Volkswagen Motors Ltd imports to UK

01-Jan-53

Introduction:

Stephen O'Flaherty, who already has the Irish franchise, is given the franchise to import new Volkswagens into the United Kingdom. The British company is called Volkswagen Motors Limited operated from a small office in Regent Street with a share capital of £25,000, and two Englishmen, Stanley Grundy and K.J.Dear, were brought in to help finance the operation. Together with C.R.Caridia and Francis Booker, they make up the board of the new company, with K.R.Dear acting as Managing Director. The new company soon begins to interview prospective dealers for the brand with no shortage of applicants; the demand for cars outweighs the supply and dealers can see the commercial sense in getting in at the start of a new franchise. The situation is encouraged by the demise of Jowett whose model "Javelin" had been selling well but the gap it left was easily filled by the Beetle. The first order to Wolfsburg was for 200 cars and these arrived in batches of 20, each accompanied by the spare parts. The company moves to new premises in St James Street where there is a ground floor showroom with offices and a parts store in the basement, but the cars begin to arrive before the move and are lined up in Regent Street while their number plates are attached!